ABOUT ME

My passion for children’s literature developedwhen I was a young primary school teacher.

At first, this passion was all about connecting young readers with wonderful stories and books and helping them along the path to becoming lifelong readers. Eventually though, this love of children’s literature led me to wanting to write my own books for children.

After many years of writing and submitting and collecting a teetering pile of rejection slips, I got my first break when I gained a position as a contract writer for The Book Company Publishing, writing texts for their novelty books. While penning away dozens and dozens of novelty book stories, I also started to write for the education market and wrote numerous readers and chapter books for school reading programs.

2004 saw the publication of my first trade middle grade novel, Battle of the Rats. Since then I have written seventeen trade books in a variety of genres: fiction and nonfiction, picture books through to YA, including the best-selling The Firefighters, illustrated by Donna Rawlins, and the award-winning A Swim in the Sea, illustrated by Meredith Thomas. My contemporary novel for readers 10+, Get a Grip, Cooper Jones and my narrative nonfiction picture book Platypus, illustrated by Mark Jackson, were both CBCA Notable Books. My latest books are Missing, a mystery/suspense novel for readers 10+ and Beware the Deep Dark Forest, a picture book illustrated by Annie White, for kids 4+.

In 2005 I left teaching to pursue a career in publishing and was Publishing Manager and Senior Commissioning Editor at Walker Books Australia for ten years, before leaving in 2016 to concentrate on my writing and to work from home as a freelance editor, writing coach and mentor, and tutor for The Australian Writers’ Centre.

I now have more time for speaking gigs, which is an added bonus as I love sharing my passion for story and storytelling, reading and writing with people of all ages.

OFFICIAL BIO

This bio may be copied for use in programs, blogs, websites, interviews etc.

Sue Whiting lives and works in a small coastal village south of Sydney. She has written numerous books in a variety of genres: fiction and nonfiction, picture books through to YA, including the best-selling The Firefighters, and the award-winning A Swim in the Sea. Her latest books are Missing, a middle grade mystery/suspense novel for readers 10+, and Beware the Deep Dark Forest, a picture book illustrated by Annie White, for kids 4+.

Sue was Publishing Manager and Senior Commissioning Editor at Walker Books Australia for ten years, before leaving in 2016 to concentrate on her writing and to work from her home as a freelance editor, writing coach and mentor.

A former primary school teacher with a special interest in literacy education and children’s literature, Sue is a highly experienced speaker who loves sharing her passion for story and storytelling, reading and writing with people of all ages.